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Consider this interesting bit of societal shift. Back in the Dark Ages when I was a kid in the fifties, three of the most popular comedians on television were Jackie Gleason, Sid Caesar, and Danny Thomas. Although their television characters were very different from each other, they all had one common quality that they shared and that audiences found hilarious  they had explosive tempers.

Gleason's eyes would get so big when he lost his temper that they seemed as though they'd pop out of his head. Danny Thomas would scream at the top of his voice, spitting his coffee out as he yelled and chased his wife and kids around the apartment. Caesar would hold the volcano in for as long as he could, and then blast out with a red-hot strength of a hundred men. And they were funny. Really, gut-splitting funny. Viewers couldn't wait to watch these guys blow their stacks every week.

Now take this test. Name a highly rated comedy show today starring a man who blows his stack on a regular basis. Your time is up. You can't name one because comic characters like that don't exist on TV now. They have become not only out of fashion, they are most assuredly politically incorrect.

Today's TV comedian is more likely to have the disposition of a Jerry Seinfeld or a Ray Romano: even-tempered and low key. No Ralph Kramden fits of jealous rage over some guy showing Alice too much attention or Danny Thomas blowing his stack at the kids or Sid Caesar exploding after finding out Imogene Cocoa dented the fender of their brand new car. The men on today's sit coms don't show that level of fire in the belly anymore. They shrug. They whine. They get frustrated. Sometimes they even cry. Or like Frasier and his brother, they just drown their sorrows over a cup of double mocha latte at the corner coffee shop.

In this era of touchyfeely metrosexual males it is positively verboten to portray a man blowing his top  unless he is a sex-crazed killer in one of those graphic forensic shows. Or some sociopath on Dr. Phil. Losing it just isn't acceptable for T.V. comics anymore. Funny men on the tube these days all seem to have been reared on Ritalin and have gone through sensitivity training.

The reason, I think, that we're not supposed to laugh at a man throwing a temper tantrum anymore is because it has become socially wrong for a man to show anger (most especially a white man). Boys grow up learning that they need to control their naturally aggressive natures. They have to keep their tempers in check, they're told. So they are taught that there are certain "feelings" that they must get in touch with and other feelings that they must suppress. Like crying is a good thing, but getting mad is not. In short, men are learning how to be women.

But ironically, screaming and yelling and turning blue in the face seems to be okey-doky for women on T.V. Think Rosie O'Donnell, Joan Rivers, and Judge Judy. Judge Judy all by herself does more screaming in one show than Gleason did in the entire 39 week run of the Honeymooners. Why is it fine for the women to be hysterical? Is it because they have a right to show anger since they've been so oppressed for three thousand years? Or is it just a natural hormonal thing? (No letters, ladies, please. That's a joke!)

I don't find a screaming woman to be particularly funny. I remember there was one episode of the Honeymooners where, for once, Alice was the one who blew her stack instead of Ralph. It didn't pay off for me. It just wasn't funny to see this sweet little woman ranting. Alice was normally the level-headed, sensible one. Ralph was the lunatic. And when Ralph went off, it felt right. And boy, it was funny!

This is not to say that I don't enjoy many of the other classic comedians who had somewhat cooler demeanors. Jack Benny was and is my all time favorite. Buster Keaton, from the silent days, is another favorite of mine and he epitomized Mr. Cool  as a matter of fact he was known as "the great stone face." Stan Laurel's character never (or very seldom) lost his temper. Bob Hope, George Burns, Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Seinfeld, and Ray Romano are all very funny guys  none of which derived humor out of losing their tempers.

Still, nothing could put me on the floor faster than Sid Caesar coming to a boil, getting ready to blow. Or a real good Danny Thomas yell. Or just one "Bang! Zoom!" out of Jackie Gleason. Those guys could really lose their tempers, and let me tell ya … it was a riot, Alice. A regular riot!

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JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.